Randomised clinical trial of the effects of prolonged-release melatonin, temazepam and zolpidem on slow-wave activity during sleep in healthy people

Study answer

What this study found

Prolonged-release melatonin produced only minor EEG effects and did not significantly change slow-wave activity over the entire night versus placebo. Slow-wave activity decreased after prolonged-release melatonin versus placebo only during the first third of the night (p=0.0093). In contrast, temazepam and zolpidem suppressed slow-wave activity compared with placebo, and temazepam reduced activity more than zolpidem across all three slow-wave ranges. The authors concluded that the EEG effects of prolonged-release melatonin are small and likely differ mechanistically from benzodiazepine and…

Study & population

Randomized, four-way crossover trial in healthy men and women aged 55-64 years without sleep complaints.

Intervention

Prolonged-release melatonin 2 mg was given as a single oral dose at 21:00 in a four-way crossover study, with temazepam 20 mg, zolpidem 10 mg, and placebo as comparators.

Key limitation

Very small sample size and per-protocol analyses of only 15 participants per active arm limit precision.

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Original abstract